56 pages • 1 hour read
Catherine SteadmanThe Family Game
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Krampus
In The Family Game, Krampus is a symbol of the Holbeck’s haunted past and the monstrosity that exists in real life. Though Krampus is a fictional character from mythological lore, it symbolizes the presence of good and evil in the world. Krampus punishes bad children, so it is a direct threat to children who are learning how to behave. Krampus is physically terrifying, which both scares children and emphasizes his demonic role. Krampus symbolizes the active presence of fear in the world. Even though there are no real-life monsters, monsters in real life are found in the evils human beings are capable of. Krampus also alludes to the Holbeck family’s German origins, representing the emphasis placed on tradition within the family. The Holbecks tie this horrifying game to a legendary figure of punishment from their own cultural past, thus blurring the traditions of their family with ideas of punishment, fear, and strict adherence to the rules.
The Tape-Recording
Robert’s tape-recording is an important symbol in the novel. Structurally, the tape-recording serves to increase tension, drama, and suspense. However, as it takes Harriet a while to listen to the whole recording, the reader is given details of the mystery of the novel in small increments as the novel progresses. Thus, the reader is as in the dark as Harriet is. The tape-recording symbolizes Robert’s family legacy and his protective nature, as well as his ability to manipulate situations. Robert has ingeniously recorded the story of murder in his family so he can lead Harriet to unraveling and destroying a deep, dark secret within the family. He presents himself as the perpetrator of the deep, dark secret so he can trick Harriet into further investigation. The tape-recording is a function of the structural shifts in tension, as well as a symbol of Robert’s cunning.
Mitzi’s Engagement Ring
Mitzi’s engagement ring is symbolic of Edward’s dreams for himself and his family. Like Mitzi and her husband Alfred, Edward wants to live in blissful wealth without the pressures of family legacy. He wants to be controlling and loving at the same time. But he and Harriet are not like Mitzi and Alfred, although Edward uses Mitzi’s engagement ring to pretend that he and Harriet are a new, modern reiteration of these ancestors. Mitzi’s engagement ring becomes Harriet’s engagement ring. It is the first thing Harriet inherits from the Holbeck family and is therefore a foreboding symbol of the lengths she will be put through to prove herself worthy of that inheritance. What’s more, the ring is granite, which is a stone that symbolizes abundance, strength, and protection. It is a fitting symbolic stone for Harriet, who has an abundance of compassion, strength to fight for what’s right, and the willingness to protect the Holbecks in the end.
